Mnangagwa lodges complaint over service chiefs story

published by The Standard claiming that President Mugabe held a tele-conference with service chiefs over elections to be held this year.
The story claimed that the service chiefs and some “hawks within Zanu-PF” demanded that President Mugabe defers the elections and immediately appoints a successor.
The formal complaint, the first-ever-major objection complaint to be lodged since the statutory creation of the ZMC, according to analysts, would determine how the commission would be taken by the industry in tackling such issues.
“This move would seriously probe on ZMC’s take on decisions and enforce compliance among the media groups in Zimbabwe,” an analyst said last night. “This is a unique case where security forces have gone the formal way of dealing with such issues and suggest a new disposition on Government’s stance towards media dispute resolution in relation to the law.”
ZMC chairman Mr Godfrey Majonga last night confirmed receiving the formal complaint.
Minister Mnangagwa said the article created an adverse impression to people to construe the command element of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and other security arms of plotting and conspiring to oust an incumbent and constitutionally elected President. This, he said, was in contravention of their fealty, oath of loyalty and mandate.
“Apart from the negative impression generated by the article, we are deeply perturbed by the fact that the story in question contained highly defamatory, malicious, un-founded and materially false allegations deliberately set out to sow seeds of discord and undermine public trust and confidence in the arms of State charged with maintaining security, peace, order and territorial integrity of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Minister Mnangagwa said the story was “patently false” and failed to meet the thinnest veneer of scrutiny.
“Accordingly, we are left with no alternative but to conclude that, in fabricating and transmitting such an uncorroborated story, the paper was motivated by malice as the allegations are without substance and a deliberate ploy to tarnish and under-mine the reputation of the service chiefs and the institutions they represent,” he said.
“As you are well aware, such falsehoods are in contravention of the Access to Information Protection of Privacy Act, which compels institutions/organisations falsely tarnished to complain to the Zimbabwe Media Commission.”
He expressed appreciation to provisions on freedom of expression according to the Constitution, encompassing freedom to investigate the truth in the public interest.
“It is equally important to note that there are also restrictions aimed at protecting the reputation and proper functioning of State institutions.
“As one of the agencies with a powerful capacity to influence pub-lic opinion, the print media must not abuse its freedom to misinform the public through inaccurate and jaundiced reporting.
“Indeed, the media must take all reasonable steps to avoid publishing false information, especially where such information will cause harm to State institutions, resulting in des-pondency, uncertainty, and potential disorder.”
Minister Mnangagwa demanded a “prompt and unconditional apo-logy and retraction as soon as possible to the false story and its negative imputations arising thereof”.
He said the retraction should be given the same prominence as the original story or he would institute defamation proceedings.